An atom has 2 protons and 2 neutrons. Its mass number is?

Study for the IGCSE Edexcel Chemistry exam. Prepare with multiple choice questions and detailed explanations. Get ready to succeed on your test!

Multiple Choice

An atom has 2 protons and 2 neutrons. Its mass number is?

Explanation:
The mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus, i.e., the total nucleons. Here there are 2 protons and 2 neutrons, so add them: 2 + 2 = 4. Electrons don’t affect the mass number; they influence the atom’s charge instead. So the mass number is 4. The other numbers would reflect only protons (2), no nucleons (0), or twice the total (8), none of which match the actual count of nucleons.

The mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus, i.e., the total nucleons. Here there are 2 protons and 2 neutrons, so add them: 2 + 2 = 4. Electrons don’t affect the mass number; they influence the atom’s charge instead. So the mass number is 4. The other numbers would reflect only protons (2), no nucleons (0), or twice the total (8), none of which match the actual count of nucleons.

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